That Smiling Angel
by darkmoonvampire
Summary: When Young assigns someone to assist Eli in spying on Rush. A murder plot is revealed. With Rush's life in danger, tensions rise and how does this person affect all of this? Can they save Rush in time? RushxOriginalCharacter.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: Assignments

"You think that he's hiding something?" Eli asked sceptically as he studied the Colonel standing next to him.

"That's what I want you to find out. Talk to whomever you have to." Young said and dismissed himself as he headed for the doorway.

"Do you have any clue as to who I should talk to?" Eli asked switching off the monitor and standing up facing the Colonel head on.

Young turned round and his face screwed up as he thought about who would be able to teach Eli everything he needed to know that wasn't Rush. Then the name on one of the files flashed through his mind and he wondered if it was the same person that they really needed aboard this ship. If it was them then they were extremely lucky.

Deciding that the likelihood of the name of that person in the files was indeed the person they desperately required were pretty big but without confirmation he decided not to tell Eli the name that would hopefully help save them all until he was absolutely sure. "I'll assign someone to you in the morning. Goodnight."

With that obscure answer Young left a confused Eli to ponder on his task and what would await him in the morning. Heading to what had become his office; Young snatched up the personnel files and glanced through them until he found the one he was searching for. Upon reading the name a wave of relief came washing over him and he sat down reading the file over and over again. Realising that most of the people would be heading to bed now, Young stood up and practically ran out of his office and to the viewing deck where he guessed that specific person who be watching the universe pass by.

When he arrived at the viewing deck, Young had to take several deep breaths to regain his composure before approaching the lone figure staring out at the lights that the FTL drive created.

As if sensing his approach the figure turned round to face the colonel with a small smile decorating their face. "I was beginning to wonder when you'd realise I was onboard. How can I help you Colonel?"

"I'm sorry but we've been pretty hectic since we arrived here." Young replied curtly, no matter how important this person turned out to be, he was the one in charge and he was to be respected.

"I know and I understand. I have been helping out where I can, and I guess that Rush doesn't know I'm aboard either or he would have dragged me to his working station instantly." A silent pause passed between them until they spoke again. "I'm thinking that you want me to assist him?"

"No, actually I want you to assist Eli. I've given him an assignment and he's going to need someone to teach him, I thought that he would benefit from you the most."

"The fact that you're asking me to teach him and not Rush infers that it is to observe Rush and his secret objective? That stunt he pulled earlier was idiotic but I understood his reasoning behind it. He maybe arrogant and frustrating but he is unfortunately one of the best minds Earth has to offer."

"As are you, now you may be young, but the fact is you are also one of the best minds Earth has to offer alongside Samantha Carter and Rodney McKay. In fact you're pretty much on the same level as them." Pausing for a minute to allow the information to sink in, Colonel Young continued on "I need you to teach Eli everything you know and keep an eye on Rush, that is the assignment I'm giving you."

"I don't like spying on my colleagues Colonel, but I can't object to helping a brilliant mind further its knowledge and so I accept your assignment but know that I am not entirely happy about it. Now if you don't mind I'm rather tired and I have an early start tomorrow." They walked out the door and headed to the dormitories while nodding at the Colonel as a sign of respect as they left. Young followed suit as there was nothing left for him to do today. But at least they had someone else aboard that was qualified to be here, which improved things, if only marginally.

Tomorrow would be a very interesting day.

A/N: This is just a short opening to set the scene and what is to come. Hope you liked it. Next chapter we will be introduced to this mysteriously needed character. Please review.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Introductions

Eli hadn't found sleep easily that night, he was too anxious to find out who was going to help him out and when he did sleep it wasn't comforting. He dreamt that he was discovered and a couple of times Rush turned into an Alien and chased after him.

Waking up early at about 4.30 he got ready and headed straight to the control room where he figured he would wait for Young and his mentor. He didn't bother going to get some breakfast, supplies were running low and he was nervous that if he did eat something it might not stay down.

When he entered the control room, Eli saw something unexpected.

There was a woman with her back to him and she was bending forward underneath the console as if she was searching for something.

"Can I help you with something?" Eli asked uncertainly as he slowly approached the woman.

"Hmmmm, I guess not." She spoke softly in an English accent. She stood up straight and turned round to face him. "You're Eli right?" She asked as she extended her arm out to him.

"Yeah I am and I'm sorry but who're you?" He replied as he shook her hand briefly before dropping his hand back down to his sides.

She smiled kindly at him and clasped her hands together in front of her. "I'm Dr. Grey, it's a pleasure to meet you, despite the circumstances." She moved round to one of the other consoles that faced the door so she could see people approaching. "I've been assigned to teach you everything you need to know and help keep an eye on Rush."

Eli was a bit surprised by this. He truly hadn't expected his teacher to be so attractive. He quickly observed her appearance and was sure that he must still be dreaming. She looked as though she was in her early twenties and was around 5'6, slender, a beautiful face that he guessed girls would do anything to have, strange yet enchanting cerulean green eyes, long golden blonde hair that went halfway down her back, a pale complexion, and her denim jeans hugged her hips and long slender legs, showing of her curves in all the right places, a skin tight black t-shirt and red converse on her feet.

'_I can't believe I don't remember seeing her up to now! I mean she's stunning and not to mention absolutely beautiful! She must be the most beautiful person on this ship! I've got to find out more about her and get her documented on the Kino.'_ Eli thought to himself as he came to stand next to her.

"You're not what I was expecting." He said truthfully as he looked at her again before focusing on what was on the screen on front of him.

"Yeah I get that a lot." She smiled again at him before starting her first lesson. "First off you're going to need to know and understand the physics and mechanics of this ship and every other Ancient ship we've come across. Destiny is a lot older than the ones we've encountered in the Pegasus galaxy yet it is also more complex than Atlantis."

"How do you know that? Have you even seen Atlantis and these other ships?" Eli asked sceptically as nearly everyone aboard didn't really have a clue, they weren't the ones with the experience to be here.

"Actually yes, I served on Atlantis for 3 years. I've been with the Stargate programme for four and a half years." She replied curtly, continuing the lesson before Eli had a chance to apologise.

They continued the lesson for half and hour, Dr. Grey explaining the ships design and interfaces that they had previously encountered in the Pegasus galaxy. She allowed Eli to ask as many questions he needed to and allowed him to interrupt her explanations without getting frustrated. They were making slow progress but that was to be expected, as there was a vast amount of knowledge to learn and process.

Unfortunately after that first half hour, Rush arrived and their peaceful working environment was ruined.

When Rush had arrived he just stood silently in the doorway, staring at the two of them. Dr. Grey switched off the console and smiled apologetically at Eli before moving round the control station and standing before him. Eli followed and stood to the side in between them, observing Rush's strange reaction.

Rush blinked several times, getting over the shock he shook his head and relaxed as he addressed Dr. Grey. "I didn't know you were here." He says simply, still coming back to reality.

"No one did. Young didn't look at my file closely it seems." She smiled happily at him and went to embrace him. She wrapped her arms loosely around his shoulders and before he could react she moved away from him. "Anyway I believe we have work to do?" She asked rhetorically as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Yes, many things and with you here it should hopefully go a lot smoother and faster." Rush said as he went back into his usual manner and headed to his console and began going through the diagnostics of the ships' systems that were available to them.

Grey went back to the workstation she and Eli were previously using and started to work to discover a way to connect their Earth technology to interface with Destiny's. Eli came to stand next to Grey and observe what she was doing and she began whispering to him. "Hopefully this will allow us to work more efficiently and we won't have to keep reading Ancient, that way if the need arises anyone can access these controls in an emergency and know what each command does so they don't accidentally cause more problems than solutions."

"Even if they won't have to read Ancient they're still not going to understand each system and it's complexity!" Rush snapped at her and looked up from his work. "Instead of wasting your time in making it more user friendly maybe you should help me in finding a way to repair the broken conduits and gaining more access to the ship."

"Rush we need to be prepared in case we're incapacitated and someone else who isn't us have to access these consoles!" Grey snapped back at him and turned aggressively to face him. "You're so arrogant it's unbelievable!" she yelled at him before taking several deep breaths to calm herself down. "Gaining access to more of the ship isn't our primary concern right now. We have to make sure we have everything settled so nothing surprises us before we go off exploring somewhere new."

"Yes because everyone knows that's how it goes, nothing unexpectedly unpleasant happens and no one gets trapped somewhere unfamiliar and suffers some unimaginable horror!" He sarcastically yelled back at her without thinking of what he's saying.

Really someone as smart as him should have seen it coming.

Dr. Grey's eyes widened before her face went into a cold emotionless façade and she slapped him hard enough to nearly bring tears to his eyes. "What the hell would you know Rush? You've gone through nothing compared to me."

"Hey why did you to that?" Eli gasped as he took in the two people standing in front of him. He didn't have a clue as to what had just happened and he wasn't sure he wanted to.

"Is this a bad time?" Colonel Young's voice interrupted the fierce atmosphere. He had been stood at the entranceway long enough to see the heated exchange between the two Doctors.

"No Colonel, I was just about to leave and work elsewhere. You're welcome to join me Eli. I'll be on the observation deck." Grey spoke icily and walked briskly out of the room and disappeared down the corridor without acknowledging Young as she passed.

"Rush, Dr. Grey has a point and I don't want the two of you bickering again. You do your work and she'll do hers as she sees fit. If there's a problem then you come see me. Understood?" Young asked using his commanding tone. "Oh and that's the last time you speak to her like that? She deserves more respect, you of all people should know that."

"Yes Colonel." Rush replied dismissing the Colonel and getting back to work.

"Eli, I think Dr. Grey could use your company right now." Young said and returned to his daily rounds.

Eli only nodded and said nothing as he followed the Colonel out and headed to where Dr. Grey would be waiting.

A/N: This is just an introduction to the character Dr. Grey. I thought that it would give variety if we had someone else who has experience with intergalactic travel. Let me know what you think of it and if I should continue. I plan to put some danger ahead and spice things up a little.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3: Conversations and Explanations

When Eli arrived at the observation deck he saw Dr. Grey sat in the middle of the bench. Her hands were gripping the edge of the bench so tightly that her knuckles turned white, she was slouching forward and her head was lowered. Eli didn't hesitate to sit next to her and just stare out at the colours that the FTL drive created. However he did hesitate when thinking of what to say to the young woman next to him, he'd only just met her after all and he didn't know anything about her only that she was English and very smart.

As he stared out at the colours a question popped into his mind and he figured that getting her to answer them would help distract her from what Rush had said to her. He still didn't know why it was so offending to her and he was curious of her background but that could wait until she was herself again.

"How come the FTL drive creates all those colours and lights?" Eli asked turning to look at her.

Grey sighed deeply and relaxed her arms and sat up straight and smiled weakly at him. "Is this your idea of keeping my mind off Rush and his cold-heartedness? If so then it's working."

"Hey, you're so supposed to be teaching remember? If it keeps your mind of things than that's just a bonus." He returned her smile and awaited her to explain.

"Basically FTL or hyper drives work in a similar way to the Stargate network. A spaceship's navigational computer works based on the star constellations exactly like the Stargate. These star constellations work like points on a map and you always need to know where you are before you say where your going to, much like the point of origin." She paused as she turned her gaze to the lights shimmering in front of them. "Stargates are the entrance device to wormholes in space, they're naturally created and the Stargates just force the closest one to create the bridge between the two points, these lights are the wormhole that the ship is passing through, a barrier between space and subspace as it were."

"It's beautiful." Was all Eli could say as he absorbed that information and it described the sight in front of him perfectly and also the young woman next to him, not that was he was going to say it to her.

She smiled earnestly this time as she said "Yeah it really is." Her voice had so much awe in it that anyone could tell that this is what she lived for. Glancing at he kind man sitting next to, keeping her company even though she'd only just met him, she got the feeling that they would get along well. "Hey Eli? You want to be friends? I don't have any and besides Rush you're the only person I know."

"Seriously? You're the last person I'd suspect of being friendless. Yeah I'd love to become friends with you!" He chuckled and couldn't stop smiling at her. "What is your first name, and how old are you anyway?"

"I'm Amber and I'm twenty-five." She clasped her hands on her lap and enjoyed the comfort that Eli was giving her.

Loosing themselves in the comfort and normalcy of just sitting on a bench talking about places on Earth, movies, hobbies, funny childhood moments and anything that came to mind. They sat there talking for hours and only realised that it was lunchtime when Eli's stomach grumbled.

"I guess I should eat something as I skipped breakfast." He stood up and extended his left hand out to her. "Would you like to accompany me?"

She chuckled and shook her head as if dismissing a thought and accepted his hand. "That sounds like a good idea."

Smiling like idiots at each other Eli lead Amber out of the observation deck, towards the food hall where quite a few people were gathering together. On the way to lunch Eli couldn't help but notice that her hand fit perfectly into his and that she genuinely wanted to spend time with him and not because Young had assigned her to him. Everything was fine until Amber started crushing his hand with surprising strength. He looked at her concerned when he saw that her body was shaking, her face contorted in pain and her eyes were glazed over as if she was seeing some horrific ordeal in her mind.

"Amber?" He asked softly, unsure what to do or what had caused her sudden panic.

She just shook her head slightly side to side and her knees buckled and Eli almost stumbled over trying to catch her in his arms. Amber was shaking violently now taking small shaky breaths and if she wasn't pressed right up against his chest he wouldn't of heard her whisper "Rush."

Almost as if he had heard her which would have been impossible as they had left him on the other side of the ship, Rush came walking round the corner and raced towards them when he saw Eli sat on the floor with a clearly distressed Dr. Grey in his arms.

"What happened?" He demanded as he knelt down next to them. He took in Grey's appearance and position and knew without Eli answering him exactly what was wrong with her.

"I don't know. She was perfectly fine one minute then she was shaking and crumpling to her knees. She keeps whispering your name over and over again." Which Eli wouldn't admit out loud but was annoying him, after all the man had offended her only a few short hours ago. He was the one cradling her when she needed the comfort not Rush.

A few seconds later Chloe and Scott came round the same corner Rush had and stopped in their tracks when they saw the two men trying to care for the crumpling young woman before them.

"I'll go get TJ." Scott said before anyone could acknowledge that they were there.

Eli looked up then and saw Chloe and just nodded his head to say that he was alright and they didn't need her help at the moment.

Without turning round Rush ordered, "Chloe go get Colonel Young as well, he needs to be appraised of the situation."

She ran off in the same direction as Scott and told people to go the other way round that there had been an 'incident' but that they shouldn't be concerned.

"Rush." She whispered again, barely audibly for them to hear and her shaking was only getting worse.

Upon hearing his name, Rush knew exactly what to do. He slowly reached out and clasped both her trembling hands with his left hand and that immediately stopped her shaking. Then gently moving his right hand he placed it under her chin and moved her head so that she was forced to look at him. "I'm here Amber, everything's alright, trust me."

She just nodded her head before her eyes fluttered closed and her head rolled back and leaned on Eli' chest as she fell asleep.

Completely taken aback and utterly confused as to what just transpired in front of him Eli almost screeched out "What the hell was that all about?"

"I'll explain once we've gotten her back to her quarters and both Young and TJ are with us." Was all Rush said as he stood up and waited for them to arrive.

When Young and TJ arrived at the same time, Rush explained briefly what had happened and suggested they got Amber back in her quarters, he would explain everything. They reluctantly agreed and Eli carried her the whole way, refusing everyone that offered. He gently placed her down on her bed and pushed the hair away from her face so that she could breath easily without discomfort.

Assured that no one else was around and that Amber wasn't going to wake up Rush started explaining while TJ checked her vitals and doubled checked that nothing else was wrong with her.

"For what I've been told and seen for myself is that Amber has the ability to sense other peoples emotions. It wasn't always this way, you've all experienced times when something bad was going to happen or something wasn't right with those around you." He paused as he took in all of their expressions and knew they were taking him seriously and not making jokes, especially Eli who seemed the most interested and concerned. "Well according to the reports back at the SGC, Amber has always had a knack for knowing when trouble was heading to her teams way. About four years ago, back when she was still new to the Stargate programme, she disappeared off-world and there was no sign as to what happened to her, she was announced M.I.A"

"Then several months later she was found by SG-1, held in what was described as an laboratory. SG-1 saved her and got her back to the SGC where it was discovered that she had been experimented on countless times. They had messed with her brain the most, apparently whoever it was discovered Amber's talent for sensing trouble and enhanced it with some sort of DNA manipulating machine." Rush finished with a grim expression on his face that mirrored everybody else's in that room.

"That's terrible, did they ever find out who did it to her, or why?" Eli asked unable to hold his silence any longer.

"No they didn't. I guess they weren't satisfied or had learnt everything they needed from her." Rush answered solemnly. "It took a few months but she was eventually able to adapt to her new ability and it has helped keep many more people alive because of it. What Eli saw earlier was a severe case that rarely happens when she is submerged in intense emotions that she loses her place with reality."

"She sees whatever it is that someone's intensely feeling? Going into their thoughts? Is that even possible?" TJ asked as she looked down at the sleeping woman next to and felt pity and sorrow for her.

"Generally in cases with anger and hatred." Rush replied automatically.

"That's all fascinating but I don't see why this appears to be so important." Young retorted as he crossed his arms over his chest and looked incredibly impatient and uninterested.

"It's important because they want to kill Rush." Amber's voice weakly spoke. "I watched him die."

Everybody's eyes widened and swiftly turned to meet the young woman's gaze. "You saw that?" Eli asked bewildered as he moved to stand next to TJ and gently took her hand in his and gave it a comforting squeeze. "I thought it was only emotions you sensed?"

She cleared her throat and propped herself up on her elbows. "If it's intense and I'm close enough then I can get images and words, and if I get physical contact with their head then I can get a clear reading as it were. But it works differently on everyone."

"Do you have any idea of who it was that you felt this from?" Young enquired as he scrutinised Rush's reaction, as he hadn't said a word about his plotted demise.

"No, I- I barely got out of there intact, I can't tell who it was." Her voice cracked and Eli instinctively pulled her into a hug and gently rubbed up and down her back.

"So we have someone onboard that wants to kill Rush and we have no idea who it is."

A/N: I hoped you enjoyed it, I know it's not what people were expecting. I wanted somebody that wasn't entirely normal, someone that would stand out yet not be distinctly set apart from the others. Anyway please let me know what you think and if you want me to continue.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Tensions

"No offence Doc, but I'm not surprised that someone wants to kill you." Greer stated after he, Scott and Chloe had been called in by Young and informed of the situation.

"Yeah, I don't think there's anyone on Destiny that doesn't resent you or hold a grudge." Chloe said earnestly as she intertwined her hands with Scott's. "After all I'm willing to admit that I'm one of them."

"But that's no excuse to plot his murder!" Amber exclaimed as she rolled her legs off of the bed and sat between TJ and Eli who were holding a hand each.

"I agree, but seeing as we don't know who this person is and the fact that they haven't done anything yet, I'm not sure we can do anything." Young stated simply laying out the facts to them. "All we know is someone wants Rush dead for trapping everyone here. The only thing I can think of is if we interview everyone one at a time and have Amber peak inside their minds."

At this everyone visibly tensed in the room and looked very disapproving of the Colonel standing before them. TJ, Eli, Chloe and Rush all objected at the same time, their protests all-merging together.

"You can't ask her to do that!" – Eli

"Sir, we have no idea what that could do to her psychologically." – TJ

"You can't order someone to do that!" – Chloe

"I won't let you force her to do it! You have no idea how that will affect her!" – Rush

Surprised and honoured that these people who barely knew her, were standing up for her and defending her, Amber couldn't help but smile to herself. '_Distance yourself away from people for years then when we're all cut off, I get several friends all at once.' _Amber thought to herself. "I appreciate what everyone is saying and I will only do such a thing as a last resort. For now this person hasn't done anything, so I suggest that for the time being we all just keep a look out for anyone acting suspicious and I'll have to stick with Rush at all times. I'll sense it coming and can alert all of you before they get a chance to cause harm."

The room fell silent for a few minutes as everyone considered her proposal. It was no surprise that Rush was the first one to break it.

"I appreciate your concern, but I don't need a babysitter." He said as he looked down at Amber who still showed her heartfelt concern all over her face.

"You need a bodyguard." Eli stated simply as he interrupted Rush before he could continue his protests.

"We'll have to take shifts during the day, that way it won't be too suspicious to the others" Greer announced as he looked around the room. "The only problem is how to look after you at night. It'd be obvious that something was up if we stood outside your door."

"I have an idea." Chloe spoke up and everyone turned their attention to her. She took a deep breath because she had a feeling that her suggestion wouldn't go down very well. "Why not just have one of us girls sleep with him?"

"Excuse me?" TJ said with a deadly undertone laced in her voice.

"What I meant to say was I, why not have one of us sleep in the same room of him, make it look like he's having a relationship and it might deter whoever it is to not kill him as he'll have someone else there and they may not want to upset them, if Rush were to die." Chloe finished and was glad that they weren't looking at her like she was crazy.

"Obviously you can't do it Chloe, everyone knows we're together." Scott said as he smiled down at her, he would have kissed her there and then if it weren't for the audience.

Before anyone could ask TJ blurted out "I'm not very comfortable staying in the same room as Rush."

Everyone laughed at that, even Rush who couldn't blame the medic, he knew he wasn't the easiest person to get along with and he wasn't exactly 'friendly' these days. After realising that there was only one female left in the room available for the job everyone turned to face the young doctor.

She seemed startled by so many eyes on her, and then realisation dawned on her and bowed her head and sighed in defeat. "Okay, okay, I'll do it."

"You are the one to notify us of this situation Dr Grey. Plus like you said you'll sense it coming." Young repeated her worse and now Amber really regretted saying them.

The meeting in Amber's room finally came to an end and the rotation during the day for all of them to spend a couple of hours with Rush was decided, it had gotten late and TJ and Chloe took Amber to the shower to make sure that she was still ok, while Scott and Eli accompanied Rush to the mess hall so that they could grab a late dinner.

Scott and Eli were chatting about how things just got stranger and stranger while being on the Destiny. Rush just sat there thinking about what had happened today and worrying about Grey spending however many nights in his room until this situation was resolved. _'I can't believe I'm so nervous about this. I shouldn't be. Everyone's going to think that we're seeing each other and that I'm some weird perverted middle aged man who seduced a smart, kind and not to mention stunningly beautiful woman." _He mentally slapped himself with the last part of that sentence. _'Damn it. I shouldn't be thinking like this but I will admit that I could be slightly attracted to her, but what man wouldn't be?'_

Before his thoughts could get anymore out of control, the girls entered the mess hall and got their rations before joining them. Chloe naturally sat next to Scott and TJ sat on the other side of Eli; which meant that Amber had to sit next to him.

Nobody noticed the weird tension going on between him and Grey and in all honestly he was quite relieved. When they had finished their meal they went their separate ways and bid each other goodnight. Rush and Grey walked in an awkward silence back to his room. The walk didn't take long and he opened the door and she didn't hesitate to enter.

But when the door closed behind them, the tension between them skyrocketed. Amber gazed around the room and noticed that it was very tidy and it didn't really look like it had been lived in. Her gaze drifted over to his bed, it wasn't exactly big but it was wide enough to get two people on it.

When Rush saw her keep her gaze on his bed, his had to fight to keep his emotions in check. He couldn't let them slip out, as it would surely upset her make things even more uncomfortable between them.

"I'll sleep on the floor." She said simply as she went to sit down.

She didn't get far as Rush gently grabbed her left wrist and forced her to look up at him. The way she looked at him had his heart racing so fast he thought she might hear it. She seemed so nervous and yet waiting for something. _'There's no way she wants to me to kiss her. I'm simply imagining it.' _He thought as he took in her expression. "There's enough space on the bed for two. We'll just stick close to the edges."

Before the urge to kiss her won over Rush let go of her wrist and sat on his bed and removed his shoes, belt buckle and jacket before standing up again and peeling back the covers. Amber silently removed her red converse and made her way to the other side of the bed and got in under the covers with her back towards him. Rush laid down next to her, with his back facing towards her and covered the two of them up and surprisingly drifted off to sleep immediately.

When he woke up several hours later, he was stunned and embarrassed at the position he found them in. Obviously while sleeping they had moved and somehow ended up with Amber cradled into his side, her head resting on his chest and her legs wrapped round with his. Unconsciously he must have moved as well because his arms were wrapped round her shoulder and waist. The covers were also kicked off of them, so if anyone had come in at that moment they would undoubtedly believe that they were lovers.

But what had surprised him the most, was how comfortable he felt with her laying on him like that and how right it was holding her in his arms. Looking down at her, she seemed so at peace, and Rush was sure that she hadn't appeared like that in a very long time. _'She's alone, just like I am.' _He thought and he wondered if they didn't find a way home and people started pairing off, would he ever find someone? Would anyone consider him? Would Amber consider him a partner instead of just colleagues? _'Of course she wouldn't, most likely she'll end up with Eli, he's nearer her age and they already get along like they've known each other for years.'_

When the thought of Amber being with someone else flew through his mind, Rush felt sadness and perhaps jealously? He sighed and berated himself. _'I already had my chance at love, I don't deserve a second chance and I don't have a right to take that from someone else. I can't dishonour the memory of my wife.'_

At that moment Amber stirred and her eyes fluttered open and she tensed when she noticed the position they were in. She snapped her head up and looked intensely in his chocolate brown eyes and pushed herself away from him and stumbled out of bed and backed herself against the wall. She kept her eyes on him, breathing heavily, her lips set slightly apart, her hair all messed up and to Rush at that moment it was the most beautiful thing he'd seen in a long time.

Someone knocking on his door startled them both and they relaxed when they heard Eli's voice. "You two up yet? Destiny should be stopping soon, we've got to decide who's going on the team to find and collect food for everyone."

Rush brushed a hand through his hair and got out of bed and rubbed his eyes.

Today was going to be a very long day.

A/N: I hoped you enjoyed this chapter. This was basically an establishment of Rush's attraction to Amber. The next chapter will include the episode Time but my version with Amber in it, so I suggest you wait till you've seen that episode before you read it. It'll make more sense that way. Also in the next chapter we will see Eli's feelings towards the young doctor. Plus I have a question for you all, who do you think should get the girl? Rush or Eli? Let me know as I have no idea!


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5: Timeless

_Timeline 1:_

They stepped through the gate and arrived on a jungle planet and immediately started to explore and found several plants and trees with what appeared to be fruit growing on them. With Amber's unique ability to sense danger she was assigned as food checker, so when a member of the team found a piece of fruit they would call her over and she would attempt to take a bite out of it. Most of the time she just took a bite and described how it tasted, a few times however when she was raising a piece of fruit to her lips she would stop and frown then toss the fruit saying 'she had a bad feeling about it.' Eli flew the Kino around and documented their time there. Everything was going smoothly apart from it being a little too much on the warm and sticky side. Until about three hours in when people started to get sick.

Scott order Eli to dial the Destiny and that they were returning, but TJ had said that whatever is was could be contagious and for them to wait it out to see how everything went. More people fell ill and eventually it began to darken and it rained heavily on them. But the illness and downpour were the least of their problems.

Amber had sensed something coming but it was too late. The insect like creatures came from nowhere and started attacking, eating everyone one by one. Barely anyone survived the night. When daylight broke through the trees the bugs went away. Those that were left were unable to dial out and found a cave as a defensive position.

Only Eli, Rush, Greer, TJ, Brody and a comatose Scott were left. Needless to say that the odds weren't very good. Greer gave Eli a small weapons training and all that was left to do was wait. Wait for the end to come.

When night returned, so did the bugs, they seemed endless in their numbers and Rush ran off to try the gate even though it was unstable. By morning, only Scott was left alive. He knew he wouldn't last long on his own. So he spent the day burying the dead as best he could and then moved to the Stargate at nightfall. He dialled Destiny but there was no response. Knowing he was going to die he sent the Kino through and prayed.

_Timeline 2:_

The team went through to the jungle planet but Eli unexpectedly found a Kino with a full databank. Playing back some of the video he saw that they were recorded on it. But that wasn't possible. So they all headed back to Destiny to watch the recording and it showed everything that had transpired in _timeline 1._

_The video flickered and showed the survivors in a cave. Eli was saying how his mum received HIV from restraining a drug addict in the hospital. When he finished he turned his attention to Rush._

"_How did you and Amber meet?" He asked sullenly._

_The camera panned and focused on Rush's face as he answered. "About a year and a half ago, when I was still relatively knew to the Stargate programme. She was assigned to the team that was escorting me to some Ancient ruins. She was cold and emotionless back then, only talking when spoken to. Generally kept to herself, but I owe her my life, She sensed danger and alerted everyone else, at first I scolded her and them for believing a nervous new recruit, that's when she collapsed and started spewing nonsense."_

"_That's when you found out her ability?"_

"_Yeah, The major leading the team did exactly what I did a couple of days ago when she sensed that someone was trying to kill me. However that time she didn't lose consciousness. He gave her a handgun and she led the way out, safely back to the Stargate before mercenaries could get to us."_

"_She was really special then." Eli stated as he wiped the tears from his eyes._

"_I never doubted her from that point. She truly was one of a kind."_

Amber coughed nervously after watching the emotional scene play out. Everyone was recalled by TJ who said that the quarantine had proved to be useless. People were still getting sick everywhere and she didn't know how much antibiotics they had left, or if was actually working. Later she discovered it was a parasite in the water supply and after seeing Scott on the video recover from his bite and infection she theorised that the venom from the bugs could serve as a cure if they could obtain it.

Greer, Scott and Colonel Young volunteered for the retrieval mission, but before they could track down any of the bugs on the planet. Four people had already died on Destiny and it was only a matter of time before more people joined them. Unfortunately at that precise moment the bugs attacked and Young and Greer were killed instantly.

Scott made his way back to the gate and waited for the solar flare to disrupt the gate and time again. He told the Kino everything that they had learned this time around and as he sent it through he prayed that the next time, they would succeed and they wouldn't lose anybody.

_Timeline 3:_

When Destiny dropped out of FTL and automatically started dialling a planet that would hopefully have food for them on it as Rush had programmed in their latest requirements. The team that were going off-world assembled beside him as Eli brought in a Kino and sent it through when the wormhole connected.

"It's a jungle out there, but atmosphere readings are suitable for humans. It's safe." Eli deduced as he made his way over to Amber who was the closest to the Stargate.

"Destiny has graciously given us 40 hours to go get the amount of food that will hopefully sustain us for a few weeks. Maybe even months." Rush stated as he also made his way forward and joined the two of them.

"Everyone geared up?" Colonel Young asked as he came to send them off. Looking around the Gate room he saw the military finish double-checking their equipment before replying all at once.

"Yes sir!"

The scientists just nodded their heads even though they looked a bit nervous they weren't backing down.

"Scott, Greer and Dr. Grey would you like to go first?" Colonel Young asked even though it was clear to everyone in the room that it wasn't a question.

The three of them just nodded, with Amber leading as she neared the event horizon she took a deep breath and stepped through. Greer and Scott took this an 'all clear' from her and followed suit.

When they stepped out on the other side, the sun blinded them momentarily before they could see. Taking a few steps forward, Amber saw something shining down on the ground. Scott and Greer had their weapons raised and checked that the immediate area was secure and safe for the others to come through.

TJ, Eli, Rush, Chloe and Lt. Vanessa James were the next ones to step out of the event horizon. Upon seeing Amber crouched down on the floor the new arrivals approached her with curious gazes.

"What you got there Amber?" Eli asked as she stood up and turned to face them all.

"Another Kino, but it looks like it's been here for years. I don't why but I get the feeling something bad happened here." She announced as she handed Eli the ancient device and surveyed their surroundings once more. "It feels safe, but I keep getting this small feeling that questions it, it's odd, this has never happened before."

They all looked alarmed at her when she said this, especially Rush who since meeting her had never doubted her in these dealings.

"Hey, it's us, we're on this Kino." Eli said as he played back some of the footage and saw the exact same team standing exactly where they were now.

"Destiny this is Johansen, don't send the rest of the team through, we're heading back." TJ announced and nodded for them to gather together.

"This is Young, is there a problem?" His voice was a little concerned but only just detectable.

"Dr. Grey is saying that she's unsure if it's safe or not here and we've found a Kino that apparently has us already recorded in it." She informed him as she glanced around to make sure with her own eyes that nothing was out there.

"Uh, we've got what look like human remains here." Greer announced as he picked up a skull.

"Understood, we'll see you in a minute." Young said and the Gate disengaged.

As soon as the wormhole disconnected Eli dialled back to the Destiny and they all hurried through and headed to a secluded area where they could watch the footage more closely. When Eli began playing the footage back, it was not pleasant. Apparently they had already travelled to the planet and everyone got sick but not just there. Another Scott informed them that there was a parasite in the water supply and the cure was a dose of venom from bug like creatures that slaughtered the away team during the night. He also informed them where they would be sleeping during the day and they would need a few of these bug creatures to make sure they had enough venom to create a vaccine for everyone.

"We still have a few hours left of daylight before night falls and the solar interrupts the gate. So we'll have Grey, Chloe, Brody, Johansen, James, Eli and Rush collect the food while Scott, Greer and myself find our way to the nests. When they've got enough food to last us awhile then we do our job and collect the bugs." Young informed them of the plan and as soon as Young was geared up they all headed back through the gate.

Amber sensed whether or not the food was ok for them to eat and they got into pairs to accumulate the different types of fruit. When they were sure they had enough, James radioed Young and told him they were heading back and wished the three of them luck.

"I'm going to go and set everything up for when they procure the bugs." TJ said as she left the bag she was carrying down on the floor in the Gate room and made her way to the make shift infirmary.

"I'll come and assist you." Chloe called after her, dumping her bag on the floor carefully before following the Lieutenant out.

Amber abruptly picked up both their bags and slinked them over her shoulders before making her way to the mess hall without saying anything to anyone. James and Brody just looked at each other before shrugging and following her example. That left Eli alone with Rush and he was finally able to ask the question that had been bugging him all day.

"What did you do to Amber last night?" He asked with his arms crossed over his chest and it was the first time that he looked unhappy and angry and the older man.

"What are you insinuating that I took advantage of her or something?" Rush snarled back completely surprised that Eli would even consider such things of him.

"Did you?" He pried as he continued to glare and his voice wasn't its usual happy self.

"Of course not!" Rush shouted at him "I would never do such a thing and I can't believe that you think I would for even a second."

"Well you must have done something, as she's been trying to avoid you as much as possible." Eli stated accusingly, but his body language had relaxed a bit.

Rush thought about that for a moment and his thoughts drifted off to last night. Yes when they had entered his room he had fought to keep his attraction to her buried and he had resisted the urge to kiss her senseless. But they just went to sleep and apart from waking up in such a compromising position, nothing had actually happened. Well nothing except for practically drooling over her when she had stumbled away from him when she had woken up and now that he thought about he hadn't kept his emotions in check then. He clearly remembered thinking how beautiful she really was and how much he wanted to trap her in his room and –

'_Damn it! I am really am a perverted middle- aged man, and she knows it now too! She must have read my emotions as I looked at her this morning.' _

"Well?" Eli asked persistently, Rush's silence was not helping him, it made it look like that he had done something and that was making Eli very upset and very angry. Rush continued to say nothing as he gripped his bag tighter and started heading to the mess hall. "You better stay away from her." Eli called out after him with a threat laced in that sentence.

"Excuse me?" Rush asked as he abruptly stopped and turned to face his student and possible friend.

"I won't let you hurt her, your emotions must have gotten to her. Your so full of arrogance and you berate everyone just cause they're aren't as smart as you. Well Amber didn't have to say that someone plotted your murder, didn't have to sacrifice her privacy and personal life just to keep you safe at night." Eli said his voice raising as he went on.

"Is that jealously I hear in your voice Eli?" Rush asked surprised and yet also condescendingly at the same time.

"I already lost Chloe to Scott, I'm not going to lose again." Eli stated as he slung his bag over his shoulder and proceeded to leave down the corridor after the others.

As Eli walked past him, Rush said simply. "I believe that's her choice."

A/N: I hoped that you enjoyed that chapter. After watching Time I just couldn't let it end the way it did. Next chapter will be the conclusion of the illness outbreak and the vaccine is created and more on the murder plot unravelling. Thanks for everyone that's reviewed so far you have made me smile a lot. Please continue to let me know what you think.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6: Comforts and Vaccinations

When Rush finally arrived in the mess hall he was surprised as to what he saw. One moment Amber is chatting away with Becker about the choice of food they had picked and hopefully what he could create with it. The next moment Amber is yelling at Eli to catch Lt. James and he looks completely confused and everyone in the mess hall just stares at her like she's lost it.

But then all of a sudden Lt. Vanessa James collapses and falls backwards and Eli just manages to put his arms out in time before her head collided with a table. People gasp and stare in wonder and whisper as to how she knew that Vanessa would collapse. But before anyone can ask her, Amber dashes across the room and is able to catch a Dr. Lisa Park just as she also loses consciousness.

Abruptly she turns to face Rush as he too is just staring at her in wonder. "It's starting, we don't have much time." Is all Amber says as she hands Dr. Park over to Spencer who offered to carry her to the make shift infirmary. Eli follows Spencer out of the mess hall towards Where TJ is without saying a word. Once they have left the room everyone starts talking at once and their voices all mesh together. Amber is silent as she closes her eyes and takes several deep breaths and then opens them and takes in the people that have surrounded her.

"Listen up, if I call your name out then you are to head to the infirmary immediately. Don't ask questions, just trust me on this." Again everyone is silent and just staring at her but she can tell they are taking her seriously and even though they are worried and curious about her. "We'll explain everything later, I promise."

Rush can't do anything but stare at her in total disbelieve. The young woman had spent the last four years trying to be normal and in the one place where people do not know about her 'ability' and then she suddenly uses it in front of the majority of the crew and quite possibly just separated herself from them entirely.

Amber calls several names out and they all leave the room as quickly as possible. When she is done she politely asks everyone to sit down and informs them of the symptoms they should look out for and if they start to feel any of them they are to go to TJ straight away. Rush moves towards her and places his bag of food down next to where the others lay on one of the tables. She just looks at him and scrunches up her face before she reaches out to him and places her left hand on his right arm.

He stares into her unique cerulean green eyes and sees pain evident in them. Suddenly her hand on his arm begins to shake and she whispers to him so no one else will hear her. "I have to get to my room." Her knees buckle and she falls against his chest but he was prepared and his arms wrap instinctively around her waist.

She hasn't lost consciousness and she leans heavily into him and rests her head on his shoulder as they make their way to her quarters. Halfway there her legs give in entirely, however before she can fall from his grasp and connect with the cold hard floor he has put his other arm under her and is now carrying her bridal style. He is shocked to discover that she is incredibly light, even for her slender frame and guesses that he isn't the only one who has been forgetting to eat. There is no one around for which they are both grateful and it only takes him a few more minutes before they reach her door.

Rush gently lowers her to her feet but still keeps one arm loosely around her waist just in case her knees buckle again. She waves her hand over the door control and it swishes open for them, he follows her in without hesitating and leans against the wall next to her bedside table as she sits down and places her head in her hands.

"That was close." Amber speaks quietly and her words are slightly muffled by her hands but he can still make them out.

"You're feeling the illness." He states in a quiet tone that matches her own. Rush turns his head to look at her and can't help but feel useless, as he is unable to do anything for her.

"No. Physically I'm fine, at least for the moment. I'm feeling everyone else's sickness." She raises her head from her hands and looks at him with so much pain in her eyes that it pierces through him.

Rush says nothing as he knows that there is nothing he can say that can make her feel any better. He moves away from the wall and comes to sit next to her on the bed and he hesitates at first but he knows that if he can offer her even the slightest of comfort then he owes it to her. He wraps his left arm around her shoulder and gently pulls her closer to him until she is forced to rest her head on his shoulder.

They stay like that for a while, both silently taking in the comfort of the other. Rush knows that she only has a short amount of time before she is overwhelmed by everyone's pain, and he feels a great pity and sorrow for her, for she must deal with everyone's emotions everyday and wonders how she can do that and feel her own at the same time? How does Amber distinguish what she feels and what those around her feels?

The answer was obvious; she didn't feel her own emotions. She made herself lock away her own opinions, emotions and ideals so she could cope with so many others. She wasn't living her own life anymore; she was experiencing everyone else's except hers. _'How can she live like that?' _The thought kept flashing through his mind, he just couldn't fathom it.

Rush felt Amber's body relax and knew she had fallen unconscious, whether it was from tiredness or the pain overwhelming her, he didn't know. A couple of hours later TJ entered carrying two needles. He was surprised that he hadn't heard the arrival of the heroes at the hour. He was also equally surprised that she had come up with a cure so quickly and knew where to find the two of them.

TJ was shocked to find Rush cradling an unconscious Amber so tenderly. She had never thought that he was capable of showing concern or comfort for another. However in all honestly no one aboard Destiny could say that they knew the man, well except for perhaps Amber. TJ was sure to hide her shock before she instructed Rush to move Amber so that she was lying down properly on her bed so she could administer the cure easily.

"It's a good thing she's unconscious." Rush spoke quietly to TJ so not to awaken the young doctor.

TJ turned to look at him with a curious gaze as she lifted the cover of one of the needles. "And why is that?" She asked softly as she padded one of Amber's arms and injected her with the vaccine.

"She hates needles ever since she…" He paused, unsure of how to put it. "Since she disappeared." He finally said and pointed his right index finger to his head to indicate the experimentation that had been conducted on her brain.

TJ said nothing, clearly understanding what the older doctor was trying to convey. She took away the needle and stood up and moved towards Rush who had already rolled up his sleeve in anticipation for his own injection.

"That makes everybody." TJ announced as she tidied up and headed towards the door.

After she left, Rush noticed the small white fluffy rabbit that was sitting on Amber's desk. He thought it was very odd to have a grown woman carry a soft toy as one of her personal belongings. Amber stirred then and started mumbling things in her sleep and Rush focused his attention back on her. She was thrashing around now, her eyes squeezed shut, obviously having a nightmare of some kind and so he instinctively sat back down next her and placed his hands on her shoulders and gently shook her.

It was enough to wake her and she stared up at him, her breathing ragged and her eyes wide, she quickly sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. Rush was stunned for a second before wrapping his arms around her and rubbing one of his hands up and down her back.

"You're alive." Amber whispers into his ear and he involuntarily shivers as her voice does strange things to his body and makes him feel things that he shouldn't.

"Yes, I'm alive." He reassures her and pulls back slightly from her embrace.

Their faces are close enough that their noses are almost touching. They just stare at one another as they both realise how close they are and how all of a sudden the atmosphere between them has built up considerably with tension. Rush can't help but glance down at her lips and notice how soft and inviting they appear to him.

'_Oh, how easily it would be to close the small distance between us and claim those lips for myself.' _He thinks to himself and unconsciously licks his own lips and can't help but feel smug as he observes Amber lower her own eyes to his lips. Rush is just about crash his mouth to hers when suddenly the image of his late wife flashes through his mind and he mentally berates himself for thinking such things about another woman. _'What am I doing? This is absolutely disrespectful to her.'_

As if coming out of a trance, Amber is the first to pull away and jumps off the bed and heads towards the door. She opens it and reveals Eli standing there with his arm raised as he just about to knock.

"I just came to check on you." He smiles at her and then he frowns as he notices Rush sitting on her bed. "I'm sorry was I interrupting something?" He can't help but feel hurt at the thought of Amber and Rush being together and is sure that some of his hurt leaks into his voice.

"No, Rush was just offering his support when TJ came with the vaccine. I hate needles." She explains smoothly and hopes that the half-truth is enough to assure Eli that nothing weird was going on between herself and Rush. In all honestly she didn't know herself, all she knew was that he made things complicated and made her feel different in more ways than one. For her, Rush was a mental block for her and she couldn't feel or sense anything past him. When he was around, she felt normal and how she was before she was experimented on. However it complicated things as all she wanted to do was to be around Rush all the time because all she could feel was him and nothing else. _'That sounds a little perverted.'_ She thought to herself. _'I shall have to think about this in more detail later.'_

Eli's face lightens up considerably and his smile widens and Amber can't help but smile back at him. Rush stands up then and pushes his way past them both and heads down the corridor in the direction of the control room.

Before Rush has completely turned round the corner. Amber shouts at him. "Inform Colonel Young that it's definitely a male." He doesn't reply as he continues on his way.

A/N: I hope you all enjoyed that chapter. Please let me know your thoughts.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7: Hopes, Confessions and Dangers

"Inform him of what's a male?" Eli asks Amber as she gestures for him to enter her room and she makes her way over to her desk.

"Rush's would be murderer, it's a man but I still don't know who exactly." She opens one of the draws and pulls out a notepad and walks back to her bed where Eli was standing.

"How do you know it's a guy?" He asked curiously as he sits in a wooden chair that had been placed near the bed.

"Men and women have different brain maps, different ways of thinking. I've been in enough minds to know the difference." She sat down on her bed opposite him and handed him the notepad. "It's my notes on Ancient ships and interfaces. Read it when you can and ask me questions on what you don't understand."

He accepted the notepad and placed it in one of his jacket pockets. He looks across at her desk again and notices the soft toy and can't resist asking about it. "Why do you have a fluffy rabbit with you?"

Amber turned her gaze towards the fluffy white rabbit in question and smiled fondly at it. "It belongs to my niece, Lucy. She gave it to me as a way of keeping home with me."

Eli had to smile at that; it was the first time that Amber had spoken of Earth as 'home.' "I guess we should get back to work so we can find a way for you to return it to her."

"Even if we did somehow find a way to gate back to Earth, I'm not sure I'd go back. There's a reason I signed up for the Atlantis expedition and was going to be part of the team to come here if things had turned out differently." Amber stood up then and gestured for Eli to follow her.

She led him out of her room and towards the observation deck, where they had first talked about themselves. Amber sat down on the bench and Eli joined her, there was no one else around and she sighed heavily and tears silently fell down her face. He saw this and turned her face so that she was looking up at him.

"What's wrong Amber?" Eli asked softly as he wiped away her tears.

She began sobbing then and placed her head in her hands. She shook her head side to side for a minute before lifting her head up again to meet his gaze. "I can't live on Earth anymore. I can't stand all those people. It's just too much for me handle. I have to stay here."

"But you can handle the crew. Handle me being so close to you." Eli spoke as he leaned in closer to her and wiped away her tears. Being in such close proximity to Eli, Amber could momentarily forget her troubles and her tears stopped forming in her eyes.

"Eli, you're different. You calm everyone down when you're around. It's very relaxing; you make everything better. People's emotions aren't just as strong when you're in the room." She paused when she realised that Eli was hard to 'read.' She could still sense his feelings but it wasn't as strong.

"What happened to Chloe? I thought you'd stay with her?" She asked suddenly when she could no longer detect his affections for the Senator's daughter.

"Scott arrived and I wasn't needed anymore. She doesn't see me." Eli scanned her face and he concluded that Amber saw him, she always knew and acknowledged his existence. "You see me though Amber."

Her eyes widened at that and she knew that their conversation had taken a turn to where she didn't want to go. She didn't want to hurt Eli's feelings and she was pretty sure that he was just lonely and new to these kinds of feelings. "I'm not exactly datable. Any contact with a person's head and I can hear their thoughts. It's off putting to kiss a guy and know what he's planning next."

"Isn't there someway for you to block it all out? To not feel or read people's minds?" He sounded hopeful, too hopeful in Amber's opinion. It wasn't because he wasn't good looking cause she believed he was definitely attractive, however she just wasn't attracted to him.

The only thing close to blocking it all out was Rush. Unfortunately even though he made everyone else's emotions go away, his became more apparent and that in itself could be more uncomfortable for her. Especially when she has to spend nearly all of her time with him. It could lead to complications that she figured neither of them wanted to have to deal with.

Eli continued talking as he took Amber's silence as a confirmation that there wasn't a way for her to block everything out. "What about if you focus on what you feel? That way you're too busy on what you want and feel to sense other people's."

'_I guess it could work.' _She thought to herself before she said to him. "But how could I do that? What could be so strong a emotion that it blocks everything else out?"

"Well how about this?" He asked and without giving her a chance to think about what he said he gently pressed his lips to hers.

The kiss was brief and he pulled away after a second. He gazed into her eyes to gauge her reaction and saw that she was stunned and apparently speechless.

"Well? Did it work? Did you hear my thoughts?"

She took a deep breath and sighed while she closed her eyes. "No I didn't hear your thoughts. But I got the impression you didn't like it that much."

"Uh, yeah, I thought it would you know, feel a little different. I mean it was nice but it didn't feel right. Does that make sense?" Eli babbled out as he pulled himself further away from her and embarrassingly confessed. "That was my first time kissing a girl."

Amber smiled sweetly at him as she saw him blush and she placed her hand on his shoulder. "It makes perfect sense." She assured him and stood up. "I think you're more into brunettes than blondes. And I'm pretty sure that a certain brunette Lieutenant would be glad to experimenting kissing techniques with you." She said cheekily at him as she made her way out of the observation deck.

"Yeah, well at least I'm not into older men. I mean he's like fifteen years older than you!" He joked back at her as he too stood up and headed in the opposite direction.

"I have no idea what you're talking about." She spoke more to herself than to Eli as she headed down the corridor towards the control room.

Meanwhile a man had been stood round the corner from the observation deck and had heard Amber and Eli's conversation and was now aware of her 'ability.' She hadd been too busy conversing with the math boy that she hadn't sensed his presence, listening in to everything that they said. He had already seen her in action earlier in the mess hall and now that he knew the full extent of it, he could use it for his own goals.

'_So the good Dr. Grey is a little psychic. I can use this to my advantage. Her close association to Rush will lead him to his death. What better way is there to kill him than by having someone he trusts turn on him? Now all I have to do is get her alone long enough to implant my hatred inside her mind so she'll want to see him dead as much as I do.'_

The man walked away smiling to himself as he imagined Rush's face when he saw Amber turn on him. This was just working out better than he ever could've imagined. It was almost as if fate was on his side, he knew that when everyone aboard the Destiny learned of Rush's demise they would not be saddened, hell most of them would be happy and praise him as their hero.

If he has to manipulate Dr. Grey to do his bidding then so be it.

'_After all you always hurt the one you love. Or in this case, murder the one you love.'_

A/N: I hoped you liked this chapter. It's all coming together now. As you can see, I have finally chosen to pair Amber with Rush. Or perhaps you saw it all coming before I did. Oh! You psychics! Anyway as always let me know your thoughts they're much appreciated.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8: Memories, Promises and Realisations 

Dr. Amber Grey was no fool. She knew exactly what was coming. She would do anything and everything to keep Rush safe. She knew that she had become the centre of the killer's attention. That had been her intention. She was the key to Rush's demise. Or at least that's how they saw it. But she had other ideas.

'_To truly love someone; is to always put their feelings before your own.' _

Those words had haunted her for years, ever since she lost her father. He had died off-world while serving in the Stargate programme; he had died while saving another. Strange to think that she would be doing the exact same thing.

'_If you don't try to save one life; you'll never save any.'_

That was what her brother had said at their father's funeral. It seemed like a lifetime ago. So many people had turned up, she didn't know back then what he had died for, where he had died. That was the day she signed up for the Stargate programme. Her father had begged her for years to join. Unfortunately it took his death to make her see his world. If only she'd joined up sooner then perhaps he might still be alive. Amber never forgave herself for his death even though she knew that it wasn't really her fault.

She sighed heavily and stopped walking and just stood in the empty corridor. Letting the memories of her past life flash through her mind. She would've done anything to go back to those times. Back to her family and friends, a normal job, get married and have kids. But things were different now. She had someone else to live for; or more correctly someone to die for.

'_I want you to have it Aunt Amber! It'll keep us with you.' _Lucy's sweet innocent voice echoed in her mind. So young and yet so intelligent, it was clear that geniuses ran in their family. What would Lucy do not knowing what happened to her? When she grew up, would she join Stargate command to discover the truth? Would she end up in a similar fate?

'_Will she die in someone else's place?' _Amber thought to herself. It certainly seemed to run in their family as well. Then the memory of the last time she saw them flooded her mind and she couldn't believe it had been so long ago.

'_Promise me something sis.' Her brother, Kyle had asked when she was due to leave for the Atlantis expedition._

'_What is it?' She turned to face him, her small bag waiting for her by the front door. _

'_Promise me that, when you finally find whatever it is you're looking for, you never let go.'_

Thinking back at that promise, it was so stupid. She couldn't promise such a thing because what she was looking for, it couldn't be found. It had been cut out of her the day she vanished for several months. The day she died and all that was left was a shell of her former self. The day she lost her humanity.

'_I promise Kyle.'_

She never found her humanity. However she had greatly enjoyed her three years in the Ancient city, it was beginning to feel like home, but she didn't feel anymore human. She loved that city because even though there were a couple hundred people living inside its walls. She could easily isolate herself and find solace in being alone.

Then everything changed and she was recalled back to Earth. Told that her expertise was required to help out a doctor who had just recently signed up and had been informed about the Stargate. Apparently this man was obsessed with the Ancients, which in her opinion was a waste of time. Many among the Stargate programme viewed them as the greatest race to live among the stars.

She was one of the few that knew that they weren't that great. They made huge intergalactic mistakes and didn't even an attempt to clean up after themselves. The Ancients had done nothing for them, just ascended to another plane of existence and left everything behind them.

Amber smiled slightly as she thought back to the day when she met that doctor. Strange to think that one person can affect so many others, how that one person made her feel almost human again. She owed that person everything; they had brought her back, if only partially.

That person's name was Dr. Nicholas Rush.

Odd that it had taken her a year to realise that he was her cure. He was her salvation from the everyday endless torture of feeling everything around her. Being smothered by the overwhelming conflicts and ideals of every individual. He was the thing that she had been searching for these past four years and she didn't even know it, until it was too late.

That was the main reason she was willing to go to such extremes to keep him alive. The other, less prominant reason was irrational. Or maybe it was the main reason she was sacrificing herself. Or perhaps the two reasons were so interconnected that they couldn't be seperated. Either way Amber wasn't sure how she had managed to survive this long without him, she was certain that if he died or vanished from her life now then she would be nothing.

'_Promise me that, when you finally find whatever it is you're looking for, you never let go.'_ Her brother's words repeated inside her mind and she sighed heavily again, leaning on the cold hard wall of one of Destiny's many corridors.

'_I'm sorry Kyle. But I'm going to have to let go in order to keep him safe.' _Amber mentally spoke to her brother, knowing he couldn't hear her, but it somehow made her feel a little better.

With that new determination setting her on her path, there was one person she needed to see before she returned to Rush's quarters for the night. It was getting late so Amber wasn't surprised that the Lieutenant was getting ready for bed when she knocked lightly on her door.

"I'm sorry Lt James, this will only take a moment." She spoke as a way of apology.

Lt Vanessa James just nodded her head and moved aside to allow the young doctor inside her room. When the door had closed behind them, the slightly older woman crossed her arms over her chest and waited for Amber to explain herself.

"I have a very personal favour to ask and you're the only one I trust to fulfil it." Amber announced and when Vanessa nodded her head to assure that she was willing, the young doctor nervously explained everything.

Vanessa stood in silence as Amber explicitly explained the events of the past couple of days and what she foresaw was to come. When she finished explaining everything she allowed the Lieutenant a few minutes to process all the information.

"So will you do it?" Amber asked when the silence was too much for her to handle. She had already sensed that Lt James understood the bizarre circumstances and she was pretty sure that she was going to accept the personal favour. However she wanted to hear it from the woman herself.

"I'll do it." She immediately closed the distance between them and placed Amber's hands on her head.

After a few seconds, Amber pulled her hands away and nodded her thanks and swiftly left the room. When the young doctor entered the long corridor the Lieutenant called softly out to her.

"You love him."

Amber's eyes widened at that statement but couldn't allow herself to dwell on that piece of information. She knew that time was running out, the killer was following her but he hadn't heard what had transpired between her and Lt. James which would serve as her only advantage against him.

When she turned the corner to the men's section of the ship, Amber wasn't surprised that big strong arms grabbed her from behind and pulled her into a storage room that wasn't being used for anything. He swiftly spun her around and she gasped when she recognised the face that stared angrily down at her. She struggled against him but knew that he was too strong for her and it was hopeless when he grabbed her wrists in an iron grip and placed her hands on his head.

She threw her head back and she tried to pull away from him but his anger and hatred were pouring into her and she was drowning in it. The darkness surrounded her and tormented her as the man holding her knew that soon he would have complete and utter control over her. She desperately attempted to think of her brother and niece but the memories didn't provide much ammunition for her to use against the murderous intentions and emotions. Eventually it proved too much for her to handle and she was submerged deep within its spiralling pools.

When he no longer felt Amber resisting him, he hesitantly lowered her hands from his face and saw that she wasn't going to fight him. He saw the evil glint in her eyes and the smirk forming on her lips, it was mirroring his own twisted pleasure that he had triumphed over her.

"So how do you feel about killing Rush tomorrow?" He asked casually as he brushed her hair from her face and rested it at her chin, making sure she stared back into his eyes.

"It's the best thing I've heard all day. Tomorrow Rush dies." She said simply and smiled devilishly at him before leaving the storage room and heading to Rush's quarters to ensure that no one became suspicious of her changed behaviour.

"Perfect." He whispered as he too left the storage room and walked away and turned in for the night.

A/N: I really hope you all enjoyed that chapter. How's that for a cliffhanger? Next chapter will identify the person behind all this. Anyway please let me know what you think.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9: Revelations and Betrayals

When Amber entered his quarters and immediately settled herself on the floor at the foot of his bed, Rush wasn't that surprised. After all, waking up this morning in such a compromising position was embarrassing to say the least. He understood that she didn't want to repeat the incident.

"Here at least take the pillow and the top sheet." He said as he held his hands out for her to take the items from him.

Amber didn't say anything, she just simply stood up and took the pillow and sheet with a nod of her head and set them on the floor before drifting off to sleep. Her silence had surprised him however; he hadn't believed Eli when he said that she was avoiding him especially when she asked him to accompany her to her quarters.

Rush just reasoned that she was tired and wary of what had happened today and with the possible reactions from the crew tomorrow after seeing her use her ability publicly in the mess hall. As he got into bed and was drifting off to sleep, he couldn't help but miss the feeling of her sleeping beside him.

When he awoke several hours later at the start of a new day. Rush was again surprised and also concerned when he sat up and noticed that Amber had already left the room. He quickly got ready and picked up his precious notebook before opening the door to his room and almost bumping into Colonel Young.

"Good, you're up. Destiny's stopped at another planet. We're gathering more water due to ours is already tainted. Get breakfast then meet in the Gate room. We've only got seven hours this time." Young briefed him then presumably headed towards the mess hall.

Rush rubbed his eyes and took a moment to think. He hadn't programmed in their new requirements to tell Destiny to stop for them. The he concluded that Amber must have done it, as she's the only one who would've figured out the control input system. _'That would explain why she had already left.'_

When he reached the mess hall it was relatively empty. The only ones there were Colonel Young, Lieutenants Johansen, Greer, James and Scott along with Sergeant Spencer and Eli. Rush walked to Becker and received his first meal that wasn't just protein slop, this still had the protein slop but it had fruit slices mixed in so that it looked a lot like porridge.

Joining them at the end on the table, sitting next Eli, the discussion instantly changed topics as he sat down.

"So is it another ice planet?" Scott asked as he finished his bowl. "I'm not going if it is."

Everyone chuckled for a minute before Lt James answered, "No, Dr. Grey informs me that it's a forest but there's a river flowing near the Stargate.

"She sent a Kino through? Without me?" Eli spoke mockingly exasperated. "I've been replaced!"

Again everyone laughed except Rush who suddenly shivered at Amber's behaviour. It just seemed off to him, however he deduced that she was just keeping her mind busy away from everyone's. After that, they all finished eating and made their way to the Gate room where Amber started dialling the planet.

"Right I want Greer, James and Spencer to head this mission, Doctors Grey and Rush will joining you." Colonel Young said as he handed them all water canisters that could hold a couple of litres.

"I'll go too!" Eli piped up excitedly as he picked a spare canister and joined the group.

"Alright, good luck, we'll see you soon." He dismissed and the small group passed through the event horizon.

Upon reaching the other side, they all paired up: Greer and Rush, James and Eli and Spencer and Amber and headed in three different directions.

Lt James and Eli were quietly walking through the forest, careful not to trip over the undergrowth and not walk into low hanging branches when Eli starting speaking.

"They kind of go together don't they?" He stated more than asked her as he came to walk beside her.

"Who? Scott and Chloe?" She asked puzzled as to who he was referring to and why he had suddenly brought up such a subject.

"No, Amber and Rush. I mean there's quite an age difference but they just kind of belong don't you think?" He turned to look at her so he could read her reactions and better understand her.

"They're both loners, both prefer to be alone for different reasons mind you. They're both geniuses and about the only ones that understand each other. It makes sense to me, I guess you could call them kindred spirits." She smiled and Eli couldn't help but laugh and smile with her.

Lt James abruptly stopped and paled swiftly turned in the direction that they had come from.

"What is it?" Eli asked worriedly, figuring that her military training had just kicked in and she thought she heard something.

She cursed under her breath and started running back in the direction of the others. "There's no time! Move!" She shouted back at him and he wasted no time in sprinting after her.

Meanwhile elsewhere Amber and Spencer were standing on the edge of a cliff looking down at the rapid waters below.

"That's a long way down." He said stating the obvious and whistled at the sight. "Perfect place for an accident. Now radio him." He ordered when he looked over at his beautiful accomplice.

She just looked back at him with an evil grin decorating her angelic face. She lifted the radio to her lips and pressed the button and spoke excitedly into it. "Rush we've found something that you're really going to want to see! We're only a mile west of your position."

"I'm on my way." He replied back into his own radio. He turned to look at Greer who was filling up his canister from the steady flowing stream.

"You go and look at things, I'll collect the water. Hand me your canister." Was all Greer said as his canister was nearing full.

Rush gladly handed the canister over and hurriedly made his way over to Amber's position. It didn't take him that long to cover the distance between them and he reached a small clearing where he saw Amber with her hands behind her back smiling sweetly at him.

"Where's Spencer?" He asked when he noticed that the marine was nowhere to be seen. Rush made his way over to her not realising the danger he was willingly walking into.

"He went off to explore some more, leaving the two of us alone." Rush didn't miss the hidden meaning in that sentence and was only slightly taken aback when Amber wrapped her arms around his neck and pressed her body against his.

"I thought that you wanted me to see something?" He asked his voice a little husky. Being in close proximity to Amber always clouded his clear and sharp thought process.

She didn't say anything, she just gently pressed her lips against his and the instant they made contact they were kissing passionately. Rush couldn't remember the last someone had kissed him, it had been so long ago and his heart ached for his wife however he couldn't find the will to pull away.

Then the next thing he feels is coldness on the back if his neck and Amber abruptly pulls away from him, smiling wickedly.

"Nice work Dr. Grey." Spencer's deep voice speaks behind him and Rush is filled with disgust.

"Gladly. It's not everyday I get to kiss men to their deaths." She lifted her fingers to her lips and licked them as if tasting death itself.

"Spencer, what did you to do her?" Rush asked as he studied Amber's new posture and facial expression, it completely didn't resemble her normal behaviour. It was clear to him that she had been overwhelmed by Spencer's hatred, he felt so stupid for not seeing it sooner.

"We had a little chat where I insisted she touch my head." He replied angrily and shoved him forward.

Rush stumbled and landed on his hands and knees and rotated his head back round and his eyes widened when he saw that Amber was now holding the 9mm handgun to his head.

"Awwww, poor thing. Now hurry up and walk off the edge for me will you?" She spoke mimicking that of a spoiled child. "I'm tired of your existence." She finished as she flashed him that famous sweet smile of hers.

"Amber… please, don't do this." He gently tried to reason with her. _'If I can just get through to her, I know she's still in there.' _Rush thought to himself and hoped that he wasn't wrong for once in his life.

"Like that's going to work!" She exclaimed and shook her head and kicked him down onto his back and placed her foot on his chest. "There's only one thing I want right now and that's for you to die."

"Amber… please." Rush pleaded with her, he would gladly die for her if it was necessary but he couldn't stand her like this. It wasn't who she was, and he'd give anything to have her back to her usual self.

"Quiet!" She yelled at him, her cerulean green eyes glaring with rage into his chocolate brown eyes as she slapped hard across the face.

"Enough." Spencer commanded and pushed Amber away and picked Rush up by the shoulders and holstered him so he was standing on the edge of the cliff.

'_Promise me that, when you finally find whatever it is you're looking for, you never let go.' _The sudden voice echoed in her head and she had no idea where it came from. She blinked a couple of times and the thought was gone as quickly as it had arrived.

Amber stared back into the eyes of the man she was about to help murder and saw a familiar face.

'_I want you to have it Aunt Amber! It'll keep us with you.' _Lucy's sweet innocent voice floated through her thoughts and her face came into view, those same chocolate brown eyes that held such wonder and happiness in them.

Those eyes, they looked a lot like Rush's.

"Stop!" Lt James' voice boomed behind them.

All three of them turned to face her and were shocked to see that she had her gun drawn on Spencer.

"Put him down on the ground Spencer!" She yelled at him and Spencer snarled and cursed under his breath before he shouted back at her.

"There's nothing left for me! I can't go back now that you all know!" He yanked Rush up and was about to dive over the edge when Amber lunged at him.

Everything from there happened so fast it was a blur.

Spencer turned on Amber and fired his gun at her but it was too late, she had already broke his hold on Rush and flung him to safety while the force that she lunged at him with pushed Spencer over the edge and her hands wrapped around his shoulders so she was joining him. Strong hands hooked under her arms and snatched her out of Spencer's arms and she safely on the cliff edge with her legs hanging off while Spencer fell to his watery grave.

The two of them were gasping, Amber with her back and head resting against Rush's chest and shoulder with his one arm loosely around her waist.

'_To truly love someone; is to always put their feelings before your own.'_

Amber smiled to herself when she thought of her father's words; these memories along with the man sitting behind her were melting all that anger and hatred away.

Rush was confused and exhausted and downright covered in dirt but was happy because he currently held Amber in his arms. He heard Lt James approaching them and moved his hand away from Amber's waist when he felt it.

That awful hot sticky substance that could only mean one thing.

Blood.

Not just anybody's blood, but Amber's blood.

'_Damn it! He shot her!' _The thought screamed through his entire being and he panicked when he felt her limbs loosen and she relaxed into him.

"Amber? Stay with me!" He called to her, shifting his body around so that she was lying on the ground and he was kneeling next to her.

"Eli dial Destiny and get Johansen here with her med kit!" Lt James shouted behind him but Rush didn't care. All that mattered to him was the young woman lying on the ground in front of him.

Lt James was there in an instant kneeling on the other side of Amber's form and lifting up her t-shirt and pressing bandages to her stomach.

When he saw Amber's eyes begin to flutter he chocked out to her. "Don't leave me, you can't leave me."

Before she lost consciousness she just had to say one thing to him. One thing just in case she never saw his face again.

"I love you."

A/N: I hoped you liked that chapter and that it made sense. Please let me know your thoughts.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10: Drifting and Worries

Rush was a mess when he arrived back on the Destiny. Colonel Young had demanded what had happened but everyone in the Gate room was shocked into silence when they that the Scottish doctor with his usually sharp and perceptive mind was elsewhere. No one knew what to do for him; it was the first time that they had seen a real reaction from him.

Rush was staring down at his hands that were covered in blood the whole time as he made his way out of the Gate room. When Eli emerged through the event horizon he saw Rush's retreating form and ran after him.

When the hover sledge was the next to emerge with an unconscious Amber with bandages wrapped around her stomach, accompanied by Johansen and James everyone gasped and stared in wonder as Johansen and the sledge made their way towards the infirmary.

Lt James stopped in front of Colonel Young and informed him of the events that had transpired and that Greer was finishing up collecting the water and would be returning shortly.

"This is one hell of a mess." Young sighed heavily after processing the information. "Go get cleaned up Lieutenant. We'll discuss this in further detail later." Then he turned to face everyone else in the room "Everyone else get back to work, there's nothing you can do."

Meanwhile Rush arrived at the control room and feel onto his knees. He was still staring at his bloodied hands when the tears began to fall. He was still in shock and his mind couldn't function properly. It was if as soon as he realised that Amber had been shot and he knew that she might not survive, that was when his mind just shut down.

But what he couldn't fathom the most were the words she uttered to him just as she was slipping into unconsciousness.

"_I love you."_ There was no way in this universe that she could have meant to say those words to him. There was no way that someone like her could _ever_ fall for someone like himself.

She was a woman who couldn't love and he was a man afraid to love. What real chance did they have?

No, she had been delirious and he wasn't thinking straight so there was no way that she loved him. After all it wasn't like he loved her, was it? He vowed to never be with anyone else after his beloved wife passed away and he had held that promise for several years now. It was wrong for him to even consider moving on and experiencing that happiness and joy all over again.

"Rush!" Eli called out to him as he entered the control room gasping for breath as he ran the whole way there from the Gate room. The younger man knelt down by his side and put his hands on his shoulders. "Are you alright?"

'_Was…he…all right…? What… stupid… question…!' _Rush's thoughts were slowly processing Eli's words and he shook his head vigorously before he snapped and yelled out "Of course I'm bloody not alright! What kind of an idiotic question is that?!"

Eli actually recoiled and let go of the scientist as if he had been burned. He lowered his head and whispered softly. "I'm sorry…I was just trying to…" He trailed off trying to such for the right words.

"No…I'm sorry. I shouldn't have snapped. It's just hard to… think right now and I don't know what's wrong with me." Rush's voice was quiet and held so much uncertainty that it remind Eli of a lost child who didn't know the way home.

"You're in shock which is understandable. I mean who would have thought that Spencer would try such a thing and Amber…" He once again trailed off when he noticed Rush wince when he spoke her name. "She's strong so she'll get through this." He said with enthusiasm as he tried to lighten the older man's spirit.

Eli did have a point, she had survived her torturous months being held captive and having who knows what done to her, she survived and managed to keep her psychic ability in check and survived encountering the Wraith and other dangers in the Pegasus galaxy, so it stood to reason that she could survive this too.

However back when she served on Atlantis, they had all that technology at their disposal and they didn't have all the basic Earth equipment here and that alone could make all the difference. But he refused to think about that further.

He realised then that if she didn't make it and he was already in pieces what would he be if she died? How could he continue on if the only person that healed the hole in his heart that his beloved wife left was gone as well?

He didn't want to admit that he might feel anything for her other than friendship even though the kiss they shared was breathtaking and he hadn't wanted to pull away; however somewhere along the way he had come to depend on her and _needed _her to survive.

"_Promise that you find happiness. I don't want you to spend the rest of your life in despair. Promise me Nicholas." _His late wife's words echoed in his head as she spoke one of her last words to him.

Rush had promised her because studying all things Ancient had made him content and he figured that if he could continue doing that for the rest of his he would be happy. But now he realised that she had meant find happiness in someone else.

Was that someone else Amber? Was she the one that could make his later years in life that more pleasant? The answer was yes, just being in the same room as her made him feel better. They had worked together on and off for a year and now that they were cut off from Earth; he needed her to steady the tide of battle for their very survival out here.

But it was far more than that. She made him complete and she made him forget the sorrow that had consumed him for so long. However did he do the same for her? Or was Amber simply being polite by not pushing him away? After all she hadn't really made any attachments apart from SG-1 and that was because they saved her and especially Carter, she had spent a lot of time with her.

'_Though some part of me believes that she wouldn't have said she loved me unless she truly meant it.' _He reasoned and stood up slowly, unsure that his legs were stabled enough to carry him to the infirmary.

"Let's get you cleaned up." Eli spoke gently as he too stood up and walked beside the older scientist in silence as they made their way through the empty corridors. Eli took him to the showers so that Rush could scrub off the blood and dirt so he looked presentable when the arrived at the infirmary.

When they finally entered the infirmary they were both surprised at how many people were waiting around to hear the condition that Amber was in. TJ and Chloe were sitting by her bed with Scott placing his hands on Chloe's shoulder and whispering a prayer. Dr Park and Colonel Young were leaning against the wall on either side of the door and Lt Vanessa James was sat on a stool on the other side of Amber's bed.

They all turned at the exact same time and smiled weakly at him. They all knew that the young woman meant something to him simply by his reaction. Rush moved and stood next to Lt James and grasped Amber's left hand, which was cold.

He immediately looked up at Johansen and she spoke as if sensing his thoughts. "She's stable for now, I was able to remove the bullet pretty easily. We don't have much painkillers left and I'm not sure if they'd do anything for her. She can't feel much of anything right now." Her voice was quiet and she sounded as if she was blaming herself for the young woman's current condition. "I just wish there was more that I could do for her."

Chloe sensed the medic's distress and clasped her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. Scott finished his prayer and Rush met his gaze, he didn't really believe in God but he nodded so show that he appreciated the Lieutenants efforts.

"I have something you'll want to hear Dr Rush." Lt James announced and lifted her gaze from Amber's still form and Colonel Young strode over to join them as Dr Park made her exit.

"Amber came to see me last night and linked minds with me." She paused to gauge their reactions and saw that Rush had visibly tensed with anger but she got the feeling that it was aimed at Amber than herself. "She transferred some of her memories and feelings into me so that I would know if something happened to her or she attempted to injure you, Dr Rush."

"So that explains why you suddenly dashed off in their direction." Eli stated as he made his way over to Vanessa and placed a hand on her shoulder lending her the support she needed.

"Yeah, it's weird but I can still feel her. I think and feel things that I know aren't mine. It's like a part of her is in me." She said more to herself than the others and her gaze flickered to Amber before moving and locking onto Rush's. "She's not sure where she is right now, she's drifting in some sort of darkness and she's trying to find you." She spoke softly and the sudden urge to place a hand on the older mans cheek was overwhelming but she fought it because she knew that it was Amber's desire not her own.

"I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere." He replied and carefully lifted Amber's left hand that he was still holding to his lips and kissed it before placing it back. "But did she mean it? What she said before she - "

"Yes, she meant it!" Vanessa interrupted him and continued before he could say anything more. "If you don't take her then I'm personally going to kick your ass." She threatened half-heartedly and Rush didn't doubt her for a second.

Elsewhere Amber's consciousness drifted in a darkness that just seemed to stretch on forever. She didn't know where she was or what was happening and she was worried, as she didn't know where Rush was.

But she suddenly felt his presence and knew that he was close by, somewhere in this void. She couldn't tell how he was feeling or if he was all right; all she knew that he was close to her and she felt like smiling even though she had now physical form to speak of.

'_I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere.' _His voice pierced the darkness and Amber was so relieved to hear him again that she felt a heavy weight lift from her shoulders.

Then she felt as if someone else was in the void with her and she knew by the references that she had read and heard what it or more precisely who it was. It was an ascended Ancient, probably here to offer he ascension.

_"You are correct Dr Amber Grey, that is exactly what I have come to offer you."_ A voice spoke out and a glowing, swirling light appeared before her. _"You are found a worthy soul of this evolutionary state, will you accept the long journey that has been set out before you?"_

Amber knew that deep down if she had been offered ascension weeks ago she would have gladly accepted, however her circumstances had changed and she just wasn't living for herself anymore, a certain Scottish doctor needed her and she wasn't ready to let go of him just yet, especially when she was so close to him.

"_I'm sorry, but I have other responsibilities that I can't ignore."_ She answered and was certain that she wouldn't regret her decision.

The ascended Ancient must have sensed this and left her and the words whispered around her _"Good luck with your journey, it has only just begun."_

Instantly her senses were returned to her and pain flooded every part of her body and she wished she could go back to that darkness just so it would go away. Her stomach hurt the most and she found it hard to concentrate on her legs but she could move them slightly. She reached out and tried to move her fingers and only managed a twitch but that was enough.

Rush felt her fingers twitch in his grasp and his eyes snapped to her face and he could see that her eyes were moving under her lids. "Amber?" He called out to her softly and everyone accept TJ and himself backed away.

"She's coming around." The young medic stated as she checked the vital and IV bag and injected strong painkillers into the tube.

As if on queue Amber's eyes fluttered open and she moaned as her eyes searched her immediate surroundings and when they settled on Rush she smiled at him. "Hi." Her voice was weak and parched and her throat was a little sore but she knew that would pass.

"We'll leave you alone." Young spoke behind them and everyone spoke of their relieves that she was ok and that they'd come back later.

"Don't do that again. Ever." Was all he said after they were left alone and he emphasised 'ever.' He sat down in the chair that Lt James had vacated and used his right hand to stroke her head gently.

"Sorry, but I found that it was worth it." She replied seriously with a smile on her face that countered her seriousness.

'_She's so beautiful when she smiles.'_ Rush thought as he couldn't stop looking at her and the thought that she could have left him made him realise that he wasn't going to let her out of his sight ever again.

"You do realise that I'm never letting you out of my sight." He told her and bent down and kissed her forehead before pulling away slightly so that their faces were only inches apart.

She couldn't help the retort that slipped out and it was proof just how exhausted she was. "Even in the shower?" She blushed and tried to look away but something in his chocolate brown eyes prevented her from doing do.

He lowered his head and lightly pressed his lips to hers, so briefly it was more like a peck before he grinned at her and replied "Especially in the shower."

A/N: Hope that you all enjoyed that chapter. There is only one more chapter to go which will be just wrapping everything up. As always I love to hear your thoughts.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11: Smiling Angel

Two weeks had passed since Spencer's attempt on Rush's life and Amber had been shot protecting him. The crew of Destiny were shocked beyond believe when they were informed of what transpired and since then everyone gave Rush some slack and were being slightly nicer towards him.

They had held a funeral service for Spencer in which Amber was able to attend by leaning heavily on Rush and TJ who both strongly protested but couldn't dissuade her. Amber spoke at the funeral and said "I can't judge a man based on his last actions. Spencer was a good man, just a little clouded towards the end. I don't hate him."

Then like always life continued on as normal. Most people were still a little weary of Amber and concerned that she could read their emotions but that faded as the young woman never acted upon what she sensed from the others. In fact many aboard the ancient vessel went to talk things over with Amber and she eventually became the ship's psychiatrist, they would seek her out and tell her their fears and troubles and Amber would listen and offer advice but most of the time she just listened.

Rush kept true to his word and never let her out of his sight except for the toilet but in all honesty Amber didn't mind, she found it adorable that he would follow her everywhere like a little puppy. She told him that once but it didn't go down very well.

"I'm not a little puppy." He stated and crossed his arms over his chest.

She faced him and smiled cheekily at him. "No you're right. You're much more adorable." She leaned in and kissed him. She had intended it to be a short peck on the lips but it turned out that Rush had other ideas.

His arms instantly uncrossed themselves and wrapped around her back, careful not to touch her waist as she was still tender and recovering from the bullet wound. He brought her body closer so it was pressed against his and deepened the kiss and slipped his tongue into her mouth to taste her.

He always found it strange that she tasted of strawberries even though she hadn't eaten any for months. Even though it was strange he really enjoyed it, after all he was rather fond of strawberries. She moaned into him as his tongue stroked hers and he would've taken her back to his quarters and had his way with her for several hours if only she was properly healed, which unfortunately she wasn't.

They reluctantly pulled apart when the need to breath became urgent. Rush was only slightly out of breath unlike Amber who was practically panting and he couldn't help the smirk that formed on his face. He hadn't realised he was that good a kisser.

Amber placed her hands on his shoulders and managed to say "You've got to stop thinking such things just because I kiss you. Remember I can read your thoughts and see the images you picture. TJ said I need another week before I can do anything physically exhausting."

Ah, He had forgotten that she had mentioned something vaguely along those lines. Rush found it quite alluring and sexy that she could see all the things he had planned for her and did she just say he only had to wait a week? _'Good thing it's only a week, much more and I would've gone crazy.' _

"I'm not going to apologise. You're very distracting and I can't help but get carried away." He replied innocently and kissed her forehead before unwillingly letting her go. "Anyway as much as I love spending time alone with you, Colonel Young is waiting for us."

Throughout that week Rush would purposefully pull an image of the two of them naked in his room into his mind when they were working alone together and would chuckle as Amber would just stop what she was doing and just stare at him and be speechless for ten minutes. He loved the way she would blush bright red and then not look at him for an hour.

Amber was just pulling her T-shirt back down when TJ announced "You're fully recovered. But still I want you to take it easy, avoid the fitness class for now. Check back with me if you have any discomfort."

"Thanks I will do." She replied and hopped off the bed with a huge smile decorating her beautiful face as she made her way towards the control room. She hadn't allowed Rush to join her and so headed straight there as she knew that was where he would be.

When she reached the control room, Rush's back was to her and Young and Eli were standing in front of him. Whatever they had been discussing stopped immediately when Young and Eli saw her enter the room. Just as Rush swung round to see who had joined them, Amber lifted her arms up and gently placed her hands in his hair and kissed him passionately.

She didn't give him time to respond as she pulled away and grabbed his right hand in her left and spoke to Young and Eli "Excuse me Colonel, Eli, but I need to borrow Rush for a couple of hours and I don't want to be disturbed unless it's an emergency." She smiled sweetly at them and ignored their discomfort that she felt coming from them.

Amber spun round and practically dragged Rush after her as she quickly made way to his room. She ignored the curious gazes that the other members of the crew were giving them, sure they all knew that they were together, but it was odd to see them holding hands. They never showed public affections except for the couple of times when they'd been accidentally caught making out in the corridors.

Rush had been so engrossed in his work that he had forgotten about Amber's check up with TJ until they were suddenly in his room and the door shut behind him when Amber jumped him. As soon as her lips made contact with his it dawned on him that he hadn't been physically intimate with anyone since his wife and that he would be committing the final act of someone taking her place.

"Rush?" Amber's whispered question broke him out of his thoughts. She had her hands on his chest and her cerulean green eyes were looking at him with uncertainty and worry.

He didn't know what to say to her. He didn't want to talk about his wife as it would ruin the mood and he didn't want to risk Amber accidentally feeling his pain when she'd already endured so much, he didn't want to burden her with the past.

'_It was several years ago now and she'd want me to be happy.' _He thought and he knew the answer to Amber's question.

She was still looking at him and he didn't say anything. He simply just took her head in hands and began kissing her like his life depended on it. Their kisses were hot with desire and hunger, both of them had been alone for too long and the need to assure themselves; that they were no longer alone was overwhelming.

Tongues battling for dominance, hands roaming everywhere on each other's body and Rush wasn't even aware that they had started removing clothing until they collapsed on the bed and he realised that they were both naked. He took a moment to really look at her, sure he had seen her silhouette when she was in the shower, but he couldn't help but think she was a divine beauty when he saw her lay underneath him.

They made love to each other and it was the best thing that he had experienced in a long time.

"You're lucky, you know that right?" Eli said to him as they sat in the mess hall a few days later. It was nearing Christmas and so they were having a pop quiz and it was boys versus girls.

"Yes Eli I am very aware of that." Rush answered as Chloe turned over the cards and found the next question.

Suddenly a burst of laughter came from the women's table and Amber, TJ, Vanessa and Lisa Park were laughing the most and the guy's looked over from where they sat on their side of the room and Rush couldn't help but smile at Amber's expression.

Amber was sat on the edge of the table closest to theirs and she had the biggest smile on her face that he had seen since they got on Destiny that wasn't caused by him. _'She hasn't been like that since before she was abducted.' _He remembered Daniel Jackson saying that she was dubbed the 'smiling angel' of the Stargate programme because she was always seen smiling at everything and everyone. Even when things looked bleak, she would smile with hope and it was highly infectious.

At that moment, Amber eyes drifted over to him and she smiled her loving smile that she only used for him. He had been the cause of the revival of the 'smiling angel' and he was damn proud of it.

She may have been given the title of 'smiling angel' of the Stargate programme. However the only thing that mattered to him was that they had each other and that he loved her and she loved him in return.

But most importantly, she was his smiling angel.

A/N: There you go the end of the story. I hope you all enjoyed it and I really appreciate you taking the time to read it. I have a couple of other ideas that I may write, let me know if you'd be interested in them. They'd be Rush/Original Character as well. Anyway many thanks!


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